Currently in the middle of watching the EE of TUJ which I bought on iTunes (due to it not being available to rent annoyingly) and so far nothing major has been added. There was a couple of lines and shots added during Bilbo's narration of Thranduil's homage to Thror?/Thrain? .. whichever it is meant to be that added to the Dwarf/Elves divide.

Most surprising is the shortening of the scene in which Rhadagast finds the Company. He no longer has a smoke of 'old toby' to calm himself down.

Question for you Tolkien know it alls. When did Saruman turn evil? In The Journey Begins we see him at the White Council with Elrond and Gandalf and Galadriel. Given his reluctance was he fully turned at that point and working against them?

Hi everyone! Less than two months 'til we open “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” on December 13, and we're in the midst of an intense post-production.

However, we have got a pretty cool fan event planned for Monday, November 4, and I would like to invite you to join me and many members of the cast in a special live presentation. We’ll be appearing before live audiences in cities around the world, including London, New York, Los Angeles and, of course, here in Wellington – which, for Kiwi fans, is going to be Tuesday, November 5.

This is how it's going to work: the 4 host cinemas will all have members of the "Desolation of Smaug" cast on stage, and we'll all be satellite-linked to allow everyone to participate in a simultaneous Q&A ... as well as present a few special surprises. Additional cinemas will be set up in select locations worldwide where fans can gather and watch the events unfold live.

If you can’t be there in person the event will also be streamed live on the internet.

But for those that do show up in the cinemas... let's just say that I'm going to have a special "thank you" from me for making that extra effort.

Be sure to check the official Facebook and Twitter pages for details on locations, timing, and how to sign up for a chance to join us.

We're working around the clock at the moment, so I'm not going to get a lot of sleep between then and now, but I am looking forward to this. Hope to see you there!